Systems Management ServerApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2004-0728

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2004-07-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Remote Control Client service in Microsoft's Systems Management Server (SMS) 2.50.2726.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a data packet to TCP port 2702 that causes the server to read or write to an invalid memory address.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Remote Control Client service in Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2.50.2726.0 contains a memory corruption vulnerability. Remote attackers can send malformed data packets to TCP port 2702, causing the service to read or write to an invalid memory address, resulting in a denial of service (crash). No authentication is required for exploitation.

MitigationApply the relevant Microsoft security patch (MS04-012 or subsequent SMS security updates). If patches are unavailable for this legacy system, disable the Remote Control Client service on TCP port 2702 or migrate to a supported SMS/SCCM version.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Systems Management ServerApplication
Affected:= 1.2= 2.0= 2.50.2726

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify SMS installation
    Check for Microsoft Systems Management Server installation by reviewing installed programs or checking the SMS installation directory (typically C:\SMS or C:\Microsoft Systems Management Server). Use 'Get-ItemProperty' in PowerShell for registry keys under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS or examine Program Files folder.
    Affected if SMS is installed and the version matches 1.2, 2.0, or 2.50.2726 exactly.
  2. Confirm installed SMS version
    Run 'smssetup.exe /version' from the SMS bin directory, or check the SMS version through Add/Remove Programs, or query the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Setup\ProductVersion.
    Affected if The reported version equals 1.2, 2.0, or 2.50.2726.
  3. Identify Remote Control Client service status
    Open Services console (services.msc) and locate the 'Remote Control Client' or 'SMS Remote Control' service, or use command 'sc queryex' to enumerate SMS-related services.
    Affected if The Remote Control Client service exists and is in a Running or Started state.
  4. Verify TCP port 2702 is listening
    Run 'netstat -an | findstr :2702' or use PowerShell 'Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 2702' to check if port 2702 is bound and listening.
    Affected if TCP port 2702 shows as LISTENING or ESTABLISHED on any interface.
  5. Confirm remote control is enabled
    Check the SMS site control file or registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Components\SMS_RC for enabled status, or view the Remote Control Client properties in the SMS Administrator console if accessible.
    Affected if Remote Control Client feature is enabled and configured to accept connections.

The environment is affected if Microsoft SMS versions 1.2, 2.0, or 2.50.2726 are installed AND the Remote Control Client service is running AND listening on TCP port 2702.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the relevant Microsoft security patch (MS04-012 or subsequent SMS security updates). If patches are unavailable for this legacy system, disable the Remote Control Client service on TCP port 2702 or migrate to a supported SMS/SCCM version.

Fix this in Systems Management Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,800
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2004-0728 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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